Assassin's Creed II Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

You won't learn the disarm ability until you're well into the game, but it is a very useful skill. With no weapon equipped, hold up your guard and wait for the enemy to attack. When the enemy swings on you, time an attack button press just before you get hit. Ezio should catch the enemy's weapons and rip it from his hands, leaving the enemy defenseless. If you immediately release your guard and press the attack button again, Ezio will follow the disarm with an instant kill.

Any yay-hoo with a sword can swing wildly and do some damage, but the real sign of a good sword fighter is a solid defense. Indeed, if you want to do the most killing with the least possible effort in Assassin's Creed, developing a solid defense is crucial.

While locked onto an opponent, holding the guard button puts Ezio into a defensive stance. Virtually any and all incoming attacks will be deflected if you simply hold down the guard, which is good—but it won't win you a fight. The strength of defense is the counter attack. While holding up your guard, press the attack button just before an opponent's strike hits Ezio. If timed properly, Ezio will intercept the incoming attack and reverse it into an instant kill. If you're fighting against an opponent that blocks all of your attacks, a counter is a good way to get around his defense.

Note that as you progress later into the game, some enemies learn to block your counter strikes. It seems that when you run into one of these enemies, there's no getting around his counter defense—so start thinking of another way to kill him.

Offense & Insta-kill Combos

At first glance, there's not much to combat in Assassin's Creed. There's just one attack button and mashing it rapidly gives you pretty much the same combo every time. While some enemies will die to simple mashing of the attack button, they're not all that dumb. You'll need to learn a smart offense to get around some enemies' solid defenses.

Your best weapon against a good defense is the insta-kill. If an opponent defends your attack, you can still continue the combo by mashing the attack button. But if you time your second attack button press at the very moment your previous blow is blocked, Ezio will execute an instant kill maneuver, knocking away the enemy's weapon and in the same motion executing a deadly slash. There's a rhythm to the clashing of swords that varies with every weapon you use, so use your earns to learn the timing. The insta-kill is generally the end-all, be-all when it comes to killing a difficult enemy.

Grappling

The grab button is good for more than gentle pushing. In a fight, grabbing an opponent can make for very quick kills and offers yet another way around an enemy's solid defense. If you've got a weapon equipped (the hidden blade doesn't count), press the grab button and Ezio will snatch the nearest enemy and hold the weapon to his throat. Follow up with a press of the attack button and Ezio will finish the kill with a single slash. Some enemies will resist being grabbed, but the throat-slit is usually good for clearing out the bulk of your attackers when you're surrounded. If you find a guy that resists, simply try grabbing another.

With no weapon or the hidden blade equipped, pressing the grab button will pull an enemy toward. Press any direction and the grab button again and Ezio will toss the enemy aside. If you're on a rooftop, you can use this move to toss an enemy off the side for a quick and clean kill. Or you can simply use it to knock an enemy on the ground. While the enemy lies prostrate, stand over his body and press the attack button for an instant assassination.